Colonels chop down Lumberjacks

Saturday

Mar 23, 2013 at 12:01 AMMar 23, 2013 at 12:38 AM

Nicholls State University starting pitcher Michael Suk picked a good time to earn his first win of the season.

Teddy RenoisStaff Writer

Nicholls State University starting pitcher Michael Suk picked a good time to earn his first win of the season.After falling behind 1-0 to Stephen F. Austin in the second inning, Suk got out of a bases-loaded jam in third inning and then proceeded to shut down the Lumberjacks for the remainder of the game.While Suk kept Stephen F. Austin from adding to its lead, Nicholls finally scratched out a run against Lumberjacks starter Chase Greening in the seventh inning and added two more runs in the eighth to come away with a 3-1 win in Friday's Southland Conference game at Ray E. Didier Field.The second game of the three-game series is slated for a 2 today at Didier Field.Suk (1-2) got the complete-game victory by scattering seven hits to go with three walks and six strikeouts.The Colonels (13-11 overall, 1-0 in the Southland) also played solid defense behind their starting pitcher, turning two double plays and recording 15 ground outs."What a better time to get my first win in conference and get my team going. I thought our defense played well, and (shortstop) Leo Vargas made some awesome plays behind me. When I run that two-seam (fastball) in, I get a lot of ground balls," Suk said. "They made some plays especially when I got in those bases-loaded jams. I got some ground balls, and they helped me get out of those jams, then I cruised on through from there."After getting the Lumberjacks (9-12, 0-1 in the SLC) in order in the first inning, Suk was touched for a run in the top of the second inning. Stephen F. Austin's Jordon Lenaburg led-off with a walk, and after Ricardo Sanchez executed a sacrifice bunt, Max Lamantia singled putting runners on the corners. Brett Thornwell was next and he drilled an RBI-single scoring Lenaburg for a 1-0 lead.After Joseph Olson walk to load the bases with one out, Suk got out of the inning by striking out Jackson Hood and getting Matthew Dickey to ground out at third base.Stephen F. Austin tried to added to its lead in the top of the third inning. The Lumberjacks used a double by Hunter Doizer, a walk by Lenaburg and a single from Sanchez (2-for-3) to load the bases again with one out. Once again the Colonels defense helped Suk by turning a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning leaving it a 1-0 score.Offensively, Nicholls didn't record a hit off Greening until the fourth inning and missed a scoring chance in the sixth when Olson made a diving catch in right field on Brandon Jackson's sinking liner to end the inning.But, the Colonels finally scratched out a run in the seventh inning.With one out, Keith Cormier was hit by a pitch, and Tyler Duplantis walked giving Nicholls runners and first and second. A wild pitch moved the runners up a base before Cody Dufrene hit a weak ground ball to the left of the pitcher's mound. Thornell charged the ball from third, but it hit off his glove allowing Cormier scored on the error, tying the game at 1.On the play, Duplantis was caught off the bag at second for the second out, and Greening got David Zorn to ground out to end the inning.After Suk got the Lumberjacks in order in the top of eighth, the Colonels scored two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Matt Richard led-off and reached first on an error before Vargas' sacrifice bunt moved him to second. Philip Lyons (2-for-3, walk, run) drew a walk bringing Jackson to the plate.A double steal put the runners at second and third before Jackson hit a ground ball to Freddy Villalobos at second base. Richard left third base on contact, and he beat the throw to the plate for a 2-1 lead.With Lyons at third, Mike Barba hit a weak ground ball to the pitcher's mound, but Stephen F. Austin reliever Cass Ingvardsen bobbled the ball, and the error allowed Lyons to score for the 3-1 lead.Ingvardsen got out of the inning by getting Cormier to hit into a double play.Suk came out in the ninth, and with the tying run at the plate, Suk got pinch-hitter Zach Benson to ground out to end the game.Greening got a no decision for Stephen F. Austin, pitching seven innings and giving up four hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. Ingvardsen (0-1) took the loss for the Lumberjacks.Lumberjacks coach Johnny Cardenas said his team let Suk off the hook in the second and third innings and paid the price for it."We didn't play defense behind our pitcher. I thought our pitcher pitched well enough to win," Cardenas said. "Anytime you give a good pitcher the opportunity to get off the ropes, it is like a heavyweight title fight. You let him get off the ropes, and he will knock you out. We have to do a better job of putting that guy away."Nicholls coach Seth Thibodeaux said Suk and his team gave a gritty performance to win the conference opener."He was gritty on the mound. He didn't have his breaking ball early. He didn't have a lot of stuff early and he was into some three-ball counts. As the game progressed, he stayed with his plan," Thibodeaux said. "We had to scratch and claw for everything we got and they pitched it well. This was a typical Friday night Southland Conference battle."

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